Government Kidnaps Newborn
Reason reports:
The ACLU of Pennsylvania recently filed a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of a couple whose newborn baby was kidnapped by Lawrence County Children and Youth Services (LCCYS) because her mother recklessly consumed an "everything" bagel from Dunkin' Donuts the day before the birth. Jameson Hospital, where Isabella Rodriguez was born on April 27, has a policy of testing expectant mothers' urine for illegal drugs and reporting positive results to LCCYS, even without any additional evidence that the baby is in danger of neglect or abuse. LCCYS, in turn, has a policy of seizing such babies from their homes based on nothing more than the test result. Unfortunately for Isabella's parents, Elizabeth Mort and Alex Rodriguez, Jameson sets the cutoff level for its opiate test so low that it can be triggered by poppy seeds, which is why two caseworkers and two Neshannock Township police officers visited their home the day after baby and mother returned from the hospital. LCCYS seized the three-day-old girl and put her in foster care for five days before conceding it had made a mistake.
How is it possible that a simple test result will be all that's needed before removing a child from her home? That's insane. Speaking of insane, if this happened to me after the births of my children, my husband and I would probably be uncontrollable with rage. I can't imagine losing your three-day-old girl for five days.
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Jul '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
Mollie Hemingway: Reason reports:
Civil rights lawsuit? Whoever took that child should face criminal indictment.
Jul '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
Welcome to American family law. Some years ago relatives in northern California had a 5th grader on a field trip gone wrong. The school obeyed law enforcement orders not to release any information on any of the affected children and, when the children were finally restored to their families the next day, complaining parents received a sharp lecture concerning the limitations of parental rights and threats of further action. No explanations.
Keep your head low and avoid notice. Big Brother carries a big stick and enjoys using it.
May '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
This is absurd. The practice in which the state is sole and omninicient arbiter of fittingness of parents should be viewed with suspicion, especially when exercised with so little discression. Besides which, the state's track record for raising children is abysmally bad. The eagerness with which bureaucrats would take away a child smacks of lust for power and disregard for children being raised by their parents. Better not give benefit of the doubt or run several tests lest this child be raised by parents who indulge in POPPY SEED BAGELS!
Jul '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
Woah....
Where is the Doctor Patient privilege here?
That is the first violation that took place when the Hospital tested the woman and followed up by sharing the results.
Stand by, this is yet another of the wonderful things we can expect from a State Run Health Care system.
Aug '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
This is reason #1 why everyone should be conservative and in favor of limited government. They tend to be inept and ham-handed. It's fine with me that the urine test is made by the hospital, but beyond that, this is malignant government in action. It's common knowledge that poppy seed bagels will trigger a false-positive for opiates.
I'm delighted that the ACLU is interested in a worthy case for a change.
Nov '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
Jaydee_007: Woah....
Where is the Doctor Patient privilege here?
That is the first violation that took place when the Hospital tested the woman and followed up by sharing the results.
Stand by, this is yet another of the wonderful things we can expect from a State Run Health Care system. · Nov 9 at 11:53pm
The doctor/ patient privilege is apparently subordinate to the State/ serf relationship.
Oct '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
The phrase "great vengeance and furious anger" comes immediately to mind as I read this, Mollie.
If this happened to my wife and me, I would temporarily set aside my Judeo-Christian vaules. I would draw a pentagram on the floor, chant, "I summon thee." three times, and hire whatever appeared to be my attorney in the massive lawsuit that I would file against Lawrence County Children and Youth Services and Jameson Hospital, their executive staffs, Board of Directors, employees, and house pets.
Well, these folks hired the ACLU so I bet this has already been done now that I think about it
Go team.
Aug '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
The unintended consequences of HIPAA are epidemic in the country. A drug addict on parole tears up the office at the counseling center, but they can't tell police his name as he prepares to go on a rampage.
A father trying to get his son into pyschiatric counseling can't make an appointment for him because he's 21. He can have him arrested,but can't help him.
A school sends a 14 year old girl to Planned Parenthood and they counsel her to have an abortion..............oh, we've heard that one already.
Someone needs to sue an institution right out of existence and get this mandate taken down. HIPAA kills. And all those letters from the bank ?
Aug '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
All expectant mothers get a drug test? Does that not violate the 5th Amendment?!?!
Jul '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
I'm going to bet that this couple were not in the system in any way shape or form.
As a result, taking the child from the home initiated Federal Dollars into the state.
.
We keep seeing these cases of children abused to death (literally Death - see Eli Creekmore for more information) and the Child Protective (LOL) Services left them in the abusive home time after time right up until they died.
But when you look further, you find that the abusive parents were in the system already generating Federal Dollars into the state. (Eli Creekmore's parents were)
However, every time you see one of these "OverReactions" what you discover is that the parents where the "Service" actually did take action, such action created a thread of Federal Dollars where None had existed before.
This wasn't really an overreaction, this was working to incentives. Something that will only get worse as The Federal Government sticks its nose where is does not belong.
Link: Eli Creekmore
May '10
Re: Government Kidnaps Newborn
Uh oh. I'm a beneficiary of this system. Does that make me bad? Our 2nd son was removed from his birth mother's custody because he tested positive for an illegal substance. That's because she was a drug addict.
In the above case, the Social Worker obviously did not do his/her job. Part of his/her job is not only to respond to the medical test, it is to investigate the likelihood that the parents are unable to care for the child.